Why not tom? UFC is without doubt the crossover brand in MMA. Here in Britain if you want to see Pride, you have to buy a video/dvd of it, but the UFC and associated reality shows are on national TV. I dont see any Pride stars getting cameo roles in Hollywood movies, but Chuck and Tito have been in a few things between them. Then there are the numerous pause and reset of position that being in a ring as opposed to a cage creates. If I were in a position to become a pro fighter, and had the choice, I would see more scope for financial and profile enhancement in the UFC than Pride, and I think that over time, the majority faced with that decision in real life will feel the same.

Aside from that, can i just say: Brock lesnar in the heavyweight division now that I want to see

Good point but theres a certain stigma attached to pride (for me anyway) the venue is bigger and seems more professional plus it has a line of quality fighters in its history, better rules, no cage, the commentators annoy me less. UFC is so American and gun ho, there natural response was to boo Rampage, the only reason i think hes signed up is because hes dropped his game, same with crocop hes getting old and i don't think he wants a rematch with Fedor- he will get his ass beat and hes on a high after the Silva match.

Funny, if these guys stayed in Pride they would be used as prime examples of great fighters. But as soon as they leave the are abandoned and seen as not worthy. I get sick of this because there are good fighters in Pride and the UFC, not to mention other venues. Any one can beat the other on any given day, on does not have more of an advantage then the other. A venue doesn't make a fighter a good fighter, hard work, training and commitment does.

Rampage and Cro Cop are the same two people who came from Pride, they are now just making more money. Just like in Pride they will fight some good competitors and others not so good. They'll even meet some that are better and really challenge them and beat them ... it happens to the best of them.

Dana White knows what he is doing. They have a huge foothold in the MMA market and North America and people all over the world are flocking to them more so in my opinion then Pride. Pride has seen this and why they are now trying to get a foothold in America ... and good for them if they can make a go of it.

In Asia home of Pride, people are there as many don't have access to PPV like the Americanized people. It is a different culture and the do things differently. It looks bigger because it is but it doesn't mean they are the biggest.

I like both but because UFC is more available and out there due to the UFC's excellent marketing, I of course watch more UFC. Dana knows what he is doing with how many events they have, free Fight Nights, Inside the UFC and the Ultimate Fighter series. They are televised into everybody's home probably 5 days a week including re-runs of fights. I'm buying into it and loving it. If Pride does the same then I will watch that as well.

_________________________"IF I COME ... I'M BRINGING THE PAIN WITH ME"

Actually CroCop does want to fight Fedor again. CroCop refuses to fight Fedor if the Croatian is not 100% healthy. And of course hes riding high off his victory over Silva. He became the Grand Prix Champion. Thats like winning the Superbowl in my mind. CroCop and Rampage came to UFC because theyre going to get paid A LOT of money. Its an opportunity to get some exposure in America, fight in a different organization, and line their pockets. I dont believe there are any fighters loyal to an organization. Its whoever pays them.

And unfortunately, Pride is having a lot of financial problems. Theyre move to Las Vegas is like a last ditch desperation act. Due to some media conflict, Pride got taken off of cable TV in Japan, which was their major money maker. Hopefully Pride survives as a major MMA organization regardless of what happens to them business wise.

Pride and UFC both have good fighters. Unfortunately, the majority of UFC fans are not as educated as Pride fans. Pride fans cheer when theres a takedown or a guard pass. UFC fans cheer when people get hit.

Quote:Unfortunately, the majority of UFC fans are not as educated as Pride fans. Pride fans cheer when theres a takedown or a guard pass. UFC fans cheer when people get hit.

That is an assumption and would be wrong. Any uneducated martial artist watching won't catch these things in Pride, the UFC or if it is happening in their own living room in front of their face. However those of us that like ground work and understand it will appreciate it where ever it takes place. Why does it always have to be about Pride vs. UFC? It is all MMA and either you understand it and enjoy every facet of the game or you don't understand it and just enjoy it for the highlights or things you do understand. To tell me and others that Pride fans are smarter then UFC fans ... I call bullsh1t.

_________________________"IF I COME ... I'M BRINGING THE PAIN WITH ME"

I think what umsangil (By the way, spot-on about the situation with PRIDE. In fact, WWE was offered PRIDE and WWE turned it down) may have meant is not takedown vs. KO cheering or something like this but the difference in fanbases. LOL, OK maybe he did mean it, and I'd have to disagree to a point, but I'm saying the fanbases are different. It really is amazing that a UFC show in LV and that first Pride show in LV had two different audiences. Vanderlai got no reaction when he appeared on a recent UFC card in LV, yet is very over on the last pride show in the same town. Same thing with Fedor. Fedor was super over against Coleman, who was being promoted as an American hero. I think it was 50-75,000 PPV buys for that first show, which is horrible. It really is two different audiences, with respect to North America anyway.

I feel that there are onmly two real differences between Pride and UFC at the moment. The first is the rules, and I think it's a shame that you can't knee a downed opponent- take TUF 3 where Bisping kneed his opponent when he was on his knees, I would call that a perfectly valid MA technique, but the rules wouldn't allow it, allowing guys, as Dana White said, to shoot without too much worry. On the other hand, I think the cage is a far better way to hold the fight, because it allows the fight to run more smmothly without all the annoying pauses in Pride.

Secondly, I think the two have expertise in very different weight classes. The UFC welterweights are brilliant at the moment, but it has few lightweights that can hope to match Pride's lightweights. Until Cro-cop and Rampage moved over, the UFC's heavyweights were pretty poor compared to Pride's depth. And the middleweights in the UFC are still pretty awful, which is why Silva was able to come from nowhere to dominate the division.

I think White knows what he's doing. It's good to see that he's not afraid to sign talent from rival companies and that he's got a vision of what mma entertainment should be like. However, in the end he's a promoter, and all promoters deep down are mini-Don Kings.

BTW, the jibe at boxing was a bit unneccessary. How has boxing been killed off by promoters, look at the lightweight division at the moment, I'd say it's the best it's ever been with the depth of talent there. Unfortunately the heavyweights haven't quite done the same. Oh well, what do you expect from a rival combat sport promoter.

Quote:BTW, the jibe at boxing was a bit unneccessary. How has boxing been killed off by promoters

It is a very fair comment sadly. There was a time when things were simple- boxers fought and beat a string of steadily better thought of oponents, moving up the rankings until such a time as the organising body (back when there were only 1 or 2 of them) rated them a top contender based on merit. They would then fight and take their chances against the champ. Nowadays it is the promoters and the TV companies who make the matches, not boxers merit. Danny Williams beat an over the hill Mike Tyson- how did that indicate he was capable of being world champ? It didnt, but it dID make headlines across the world. suddenly HBO execs knew the name Danny Williams, so he was given the chance to be Klitchko's punchbag for a few rounds. Crazy.

Read the interviews with Floyd Mayweather regarding his upcoming match with De La Hoya- he is not talking in terms of beating his oponent, or victory being a defining moment in his career, he is talking about the number of PPV units they sell being a potential world record, and their payday swelling in line with that, win lose or draw. Boxers talking like promoters- the latest in an ugly evolution. its sad.